1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an integrated bed including a part that can be separated for use as a wheelchair, and a mattress used for the integrated bed.
2. Background Art
It is very hard a task for any care worker to move a bedridden elderly or a sick patient (hereinafter referred to as a care-receiver) from a bed to a wheelchair or from the wheelchair to the bed. Care workers often suffer pain in their lower backs when moving care-receivers. Thus, an integrated bed is proposed. A part thereof is separable and the separated part can be used as a wheelchair (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication, No. 2001-104102, for example).
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of conventional integrated bed 1. In integrated bed 1, a center part is convertible into wheelchair 2. According to this structure, the center part can be converted into a shape of wheelchair 2 by using actuator 3 provided on integrated bed 1 while the care-receiver stays lying in the center part. After that, the care-receiver can be moved on wheelchair 2 when the care worker simply pulls out the converted wheelchair 2.